More than 100 area residents recently gathered in High Ridge to celebrate the kickoff of an internship program that will help young adults in Jefferson County with intellectual and developmental disabilities learn job skills.
Lafayette Industries has received Jefferson Foundation grants to expand its StepUp intern program to Jefferson County. The program provides free employment training for people ages 18 to 35, said Vicky James, chief advancement officer for Lafayette Industries, which is based in Manchester and provides packaging services.
Those who take part in the StepUp program will attend three hours of classroom training each week and will work at a local business four hours each week. The program lasts one to two years.
The program in Jefferson County will partner with The Wicked Chicken in High Ridge and Cool Beans in Hillsboro, where interns will work in all areas of the businesses.
Lafayette Industries’ StepUp program began in 2020 in St. Louis County as a partnership with Pioneer Bakery and Cafe in Kirkwood. In 2022, Lafayette Industries received $15,067.92 to purchase equipment for the employment training program and $150,000 to expand employment services to Jefferson County, according to the Jefferson Foundation website.
James expects the Jefferson County StepUp program to start in Jefferson County in July with six to 12 students for the first class.
“People are already calling us,” she said.
James said the program is still accepting applications. She has worked with school districts to get the word out to students who might benefit from the program.
She said certified teachers will work alongside the interns in the classroom and in the job settings. In the classroom, which will be housed at The Wicked Chicken, they role-play and learn things like how to deal with an angry customer and then apply those lessons at work.
“What I like is it is a longer-term program,” James said. “It really focuses on the social skills part.”
Since it began, 15 people have graduated from the StepUp program.
Stacey Elster, chief program officer for Lafayette Industries, said 100 percent of the graduates got job offers and 80 percent accepted a job offer. The other 20 percent are furthering their skills to seek employment, she said.
StepUp graduate finds success
Noah Wangler, 30, of Kirkwood was the first graduate of the Lafayette Industries’ StepUp program. He was the star of the April 20 celebration to kick off the expansion of the program to Jefferson County.
When Noah was born, he was without oxygen for a period and has cerebral palsy, which affects his speech, fine motor skills, mobility and learning, his father Peter Wangler said.
“He’s a very bright, personable young man,” Peter added.
After Noah graduated high school, he tried community college classes. He also tried the University of Missouri-St. Louis’ two-year post-secondary Succeed program for adults with intellectual disabilities, but Peter said those classes didn’t work out for Noah.
Since then, he has matured and was ready to be successful and completed his internship at the Pioneer Bakery and Cafe, which was established in 2020 as a joint effort between McArthur’s Bakery and Lafayette Industries. There, interns learn safe food handling, use of the point-of-sale system, proper food preparation techniques, as well as communication and social skills.
Noah said he worked in the kitchen, made cookies, swept and cleaned tables.
Peter credits both Pioneer Bakery and Lafayette Industries for helping young people like his son who are aching to contribute.
“Places like this allow them to feel successful,” Peter said.
Elster said Noah got a job after just nine months in the program and works for the Panera Bread Co.
There’s an intake process to see if a candidate is right for the program. The average age of an intern is 28.
Elster said the program focuses on building social skills, communication, problem-solving and self-regulation. She said it’s based on years of studying data received from applicants who worked at Lafayette in its packaging operation. Founded in 1976, Lafayette employs more than 400 people with developmental disabilities.
She said the internship program was developed by experienced special education teachers and business professionals to provide real-world training.
Applicants must have a documented intellectual or developmental disability such as epilepsy, cerebral palsy, autism or Down syndrome. They must demonstrate some foundational soft and hard skills that are detailed on their website at lafayetteindustries.com/programs/step-up-2/ and they must have reliable transportation.
Most importantly, Elster said applicants must want to work.
For more information about the program, visit their website or call 636-227-5666.